Conveying systems may represent very expensive investments, in terms of both procurement and operation. In particular, if a conveying system does not operate, for example in a mine, this can have the effect that the entire mining facility does not operate, including transporting the extracted material away. This can cause enormous costs, in particular due to lost production.
For this reason, monitoring systems for conveyor belts of conveying systems are known so that damage and the like can be detected as early as possible, before the damage puts the conveyor belt, and consequently the conveying system, out of operation. It is for example intended that, when damage is detected, a warning is generated, preferably also comprising locating the damage, so that the conveyor belt can be stopped and the damage can be rectified by personnel.
Such a device for the non-destructive inspection of a conveyor belt is described in DE 35 17 314 A1 which is incorporated herein by reference. There, the monitoring, inspecting or checking of conveyor belts is performed by means of x-radiation, which can pass through a conveyor belt. The x-radiation that has passed through the conveyor belt is captured and produces a visible image of the interior of the conveyor belt on a fluorescent screen, so that damage within the material of the conveyor belt can be detected. This visible image can be visually examined by personnel or recorded by a video camera, in order to be visually examined later. It is consequently possible not only for damage to be detected by personnel but also for possible conclusions of such damage to be drawn by personnel and also to be initiated or implemented.
US 2013/0136816 and U.S. Pat. No. 8,983,027 also relate to devices for the non-destructive inspection of conveyor belts by x-radiation and are incorporated herein by reference. In those documents, however, the evaluation of the measurement data takes place in each case by means of a process computer or by means of image processing software, so that there is no need for the evaluation of images by personnel of the conveying system. In both cases, automatic error messages can be generated if relevant damage is detected by the process computer or the image processing software. Personnel can respond to this error message, in that possible conclusions in this respect can be drawn by personnel and also can be initiated or implemented.